It's a known fact, everyone wants to live a longer and happier life. And really, all that is required to achieve this is to have a healthy mind and a healthy body. A healthy body is one which is full of energy, good immunity and a great detoxification system. I'm sure you agree, you need to have all the three for the best results. However something that you may not know is one nutrient specifically plays an important role in providing all three of these, and it is known as 'Glutathione'. Your body itself synthesizes this vital nutrient and all you have to do is to support your body ability to produce glutathione in adequate amounts.

Glutathione - the anti-oxidant and free radicals

Our body undergoes wear and tear continuously. It is exposed to so many harmful things. It is exposed to stress, pollution, radiation, infection, drugs, poor diet, aging, injury, trauma etc. All these pile up a dangerous group of chemicals called free radicals. These get accumulated in the cells. These free radicals meddle with the normal functioning of the cells.

Free radicals need to be removed if your bodies cells are to function normally. This is where anti-oxidants play a major role. They neutralize these free radicals and prevent them from causing further damage to the cells. Glutathione is the super anti-oxidant that is present inside the cell itself. It is present in all cells and efficiently nullifies the effects of free radicals. The incredible thing is that Glutathione is produced naturally in our body. However as we age we produce less and less, eventually allowing free radicals to run freely in our body. Creating disease and other problems we call, "the signs of aging"

Glutathione and immunity

A weak immune system is helpless in preventing various infections. If your immune system is low, for example if you have an HIV infection, even bacteria that are very mild without causing any disease can enter your body producing various symptoms. The vital molecule glutathione is present in all cells including the cells of the immune system. They readily ward off any kind of infection. You have to keep the optimum level of glutathione inside the cells. All you really have to do is keep a diet rich in glutathione and help your body to create more of it.

Glutathione and detoxification

There is a wonderful organ in our body - the liver. It synthesizes protein, stores energy and removes the toxic substances from the body. Whatever is considered a foreign substance and deemed toxic, are removed from the body by the liver. With the help of a few chemical substances and a few chemical reactions involving them, the liver neutralizes these toxic substances by a process called detoxification.

Detoxification occurs in two phases - phase I and phase II reactions. A number of chemical substances are involved in this. And the most important one is the glutathione. Though glutathione is available in many natural food substances like fresh fruits and vegetables, the liver can synthesize glutathione on its own when necessity arises.

Glutathione and cancer

With improved standard of living and better medical facilities, the diseases caused by infections have decreased. But there is an increase in the incidence of many non-infectious diseases including cancer. Research has shown that people who suffer from cancer have low levels of glutathione in their body. By keeping the glutathione at normal levels, cancer can either be prevented or its progression can be stopped.